EFF leader Julius Malema has criticised parliament’s ad hoc committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane’s ruling preventing MPs from asking national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola questions unrelated to his statement.
The question was related to the classification of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (Ipid) report on its Phala Phala investigation, asked by MK Party MP Vusi Shongwe.
Masemola made his second appearance on Friday before the committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system, where MPs had an opportunity to ask questions based on the statement the commissioner presented on his first day.
Shongwe asked Masemola if the Ipid report on Phala Phala was “top secret”. Masemola said he would not know.
Lekganyane then asked Masemola if his statement included the matter and if he was comfortable answering the question. Masemola said no. “I’m not comfortable because I might not have other facts to address the matter,” he said.
It’s unfair to rule a member out of order and say he must write a question about a well-known issue ... If he doesn’t have all the facts, it’s OK, we’ll take it to the relevant structures — not write questions
— Julius Malema, EFF leader
Lekganyane then ruled that members should refrain from asking questions unrelated to the statement presented before parliament. Members should raise additional matters in writing “so that we don’t inconvenience the witness”.
The Phala Phala scandal involves a large amount of money stolen from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm in 2020.
Malema said Masemola should answer the question, citing previous questions he answered that were outside his statement, such as about deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya’s home being searched by police on Thursday.
“The general was asked yesterday [Thursday] about people who were being searched while he was sitting there. It was not in his statement, but he was comfortable answering those questions,” he said.
If Masemola could answer questions about something that happened when he was not in his office, what stopped him from answering a question that is police-related, Malema asked.
“It’s unfair to rule a member out of order and say he must write a question about a well-known issue.
“It might not be in his statement, but it’s a well-known issue. If he doesn’t have all the facts, it’s OK, we’ll take it to the relevant structures — not write questions.”
Despite that, Lekganyane upheld his ruling. The hearing continues.
TimesLIVE
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